Well, boys and girls, it’s been a big trip down memory lane for me. I actually first met Tiff at a mutual friend’s 21st party. I was performing with the band and running late, so was quite stressed. Apparently she was wearing a purple velvet dress. Alas, however hard I try, I remember nothing.

Fast forward to two years ago, where I met Tiff at band camp. Actually it was orchestra camp, but for some reason people call it band camp these days. I hadn’t been able to get to rehearsals for a few weeks, and she must have joined the orchestra during this time. There weren’t any girls in orchestra that I particularly fancied, so I decided to relax and just have a fun time. This is what I did on Friday night. Tiff must have arrived on Saturday morning.

At Saturday lunch I was sitting opposite a girl with medium length straight brown hair, a wide face with well defined features (perhaps even a little Elven, Liadlaith) and large blue eyes. I found out she was doing the fifth year of her medical degree. Someone asked where she went to school. She said matter-of-factly: “The Werribee South Reform School for Girls”, so plausibly that it was a while before I could dispel the feeling that she might have been telling the truth, instead of (as I found out later) going to a school that was so exclusive she was embarrassed to mention it.

In the afternoon four of us played tennis, and Tiff was happy to umpire and collect balls. I could already see (or feel) that this willingness to please was directed at me, to a degree that went beyond ordinary friendliness. I sometimes wonder if she had previously been tipped off about me, or whether I really impressed her a couple of years before at the 21st party. I’m not really a guy that girls fall for on sight. More of a specialist or acquired taste...

I went down to the beach that evening saw the most beautiful sunset I had seen in years. Now, of course, a beautiful sunset reminds me of her. Saturday night at band camp is the designated night for the party and a the theme was togas. I had especially purchased a white sheet and safety pins, so was determined to wear my toga despite most other people not being organised or motivated enough to bring a costume (like me most of the time). Tiff offered to help me put my toga on— with some relish it seemed. At the party I mingled a fair bit, including talking extensively with a girl from the Lofoten Islands in Norway, where I have dreamed of going for ages.

Eventually it was time to put on my normal clothes, and being a beautiful night, everyone went down to the beach. I was sitting with Tiff and others, and I must have mentioned my determination to skinny-dip early in the morning any time I was staying near the beach (I’d done it that morning as the weather was very mild for May). Somehow Tiff made me confident enough to suggest a dip there and then. So we both went further up the beach and got naked. My agreed concession to chivalry was to take my spectacles off, rendering myself nearly blind. My memory of the moon lighting us in the water was patently wrong as it turns out the moon was one day off being new (hmmmm... is that significant for a Cancerian?). As we were frolicking away, at one point she touched me on the shoulder to emphasise a point. Whatever that point was, the point that she fancied me was not lost, even on me. I decided that this could only be a good thing, and that I would see where things lead, and whether she had any characteristics I wouldn’t be able to deal with, such as:

• Being the clichéd psycho-bitch from hell (anyone who took an instant like to me would have to be a bit suspicious :P )
• She was just promiscuous, in which case I would have to be careful not to fall in love with her
• She had been at the reform school. While this was not necessarily a problem, there would undoubtedly be issues
• She was a fan of Australia’s very own Dubya wannabe, John Howard (unforgivable)

She was none of these, but until I was sure I was cautious. Perhaps I’m overestimating how much I thinking that evening, but knowing me I wouldn’t put it past me, even when drunk. I was drunk enough not to be averse to a cuddle in her bunk bed. As I got in I felt confident to tell her my sometimes off-putting secret, parts A & B. I haven’t mentioned it to you yet, dear Diaryland reader, mainly because it doesn’t affect my everyday life very much. I will tell in good time, but for now I’ll say that I used part B to stave off Narelle when she was getting a little too unrequitedly amorous. Tiff had no problem though, and the difficult revelations were out of the way within twelve hours of meeting her. Apart from my consuming fascination with sawdust of course ;)

It was nice to reacquaint myself with the joys of kissing after what had been way, way too long. We agreed that sex was probably a bad idea as we had no supplies, and we were happy to keep our clothes on. We held each other in the dark and talked about all sorts of things, oblivious to the epic, noisy card game that raged outside. Eventually, in the interests of sleeping, I reluctantly went to my own bed, to a very friendly goodbye.

In the morning I had to sing early in the city. I was planning to get a taxi to the railway station, but Tiff also had to be back in town, so she generously offered me a lift all the way back, probably somewhat out of her way. It was early in the morning and no one else was up, so I held her as we looked out of the window into the mist, both very pleased with ourselves. One of the girls sprung us, shattering any secrecy still had at that stage. She was the girlfriend of a good friend of mine, and she was probably glad to see that Josquin had finally got lucky.

During the trip back to town I found out about the things Tiff was writing at the time. When she stopped to let me out I finally remembered to get her phone number. I went off to choir with many things in my head, none of them much to do with music... and hoping that I might be able to fall in love with this intriguing girl.

From all this I have learned that it can pay to humiliate oneself a little in the interests of picking up a special person, however much I hate doing it. Grrrr... Also, that you’ll meet the right person when you least expect it. Grrrr... again... :)

Here’s an interesting entry I’ve been reading by .

This month    November    October    September     August     July     June    May    April    March    February